Polyesters Flashcards
What links do polyesters use?
Ester links
What makes up a polyester?
-The monomer ‘dicarboxylic acid’
-The monomer ‘diol’
What functional group do dicarboxylic acids have?
The carboxyl functional group (COOH)
What functional group do diols have?
The alcohol functional group (OH)
What part of the dicarboxylic acid monomer is given up to form a polyester?
The ‘OH’ group
What part of the diol monomer is given up to form a polyester?
The ‘H’ atom from its ‘OH’ group
How do the 2 monomers join together?
The C from the dicarboxylic acid bonds directly to the O left from the OH group that was on the diol.
What other molecule is formed when a condensation polyester is made?
A water molecule
What other 2 molecules are formed when a condensation polyester repeat unit is made?
2 water molecules for each repeat unit.
Why are they called condensation polymers?
Because they form water molecules.
What are the 3 important things for molecules in this reaction to combine?
- Each of the monomers have to have at least 2 functional groups
- There needs to be at least 2 different functional groups overall (in this case, we have both carboxyl and alcohol functional groups)
- A small molecule is given off in the process; generally water
What is an advantage of polyesters?
Generally, they are biodegradable so reduce landfill and the need to incinerate to get rid of them.
How are polyesters broken down?
Microbes, like bacteria and fungi, can use enzymes to break down the polymer into its monomers and use them as energy supplies.
